Florida Panthers right wing Kris Versteeg criticized the NHL leadership in a radio interview. / Steve Mitchell, US Presswire

by Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports

by Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, "I love the players" in an interview with a Winnipeg newspaper.

But it continues to be an unrequited love as another NHL player, the Florida Panthers' Kris Versteeg, used a radio interview to say Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly are cancers.

He said it was time for both of them to leave the game.

While Bettman uses a threat of a $1 million fine to keep owners and team executives from saying anything inflammatory during the negotiations, players have regularly criticized him throughout negotiations to reach agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.

"I'm really frustrated," Versteeg said on TSN 1050 Monday afternoon. "It's not good. You do try to look at the best-case scenarios moving forward once the CBA does get done, and you've gotta look for the cancers and you've gotta cut out the cancers and I think that when you look at Bill Daly and Bettman, they've been polluting this game for far too long."

His attack came a few days after Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ian White said he believed Bettman was an idiot.

Bettman has taken the high road over the verbal shots he has taken from the players. He has said essentially that harsh rhetoric often happens in labor negotiations. His professed love for the players came in response to a question about the criticism he is receiving.

"By the way, I love the players," Bettman said. "Nobody should think for a moment that I don't."

But there are team officials around the NHL who have privately expressed disappointment about players directing personal attacks toward Bettman.

Just as players rallied around Donald Fehr after an anonymous NHL figure accused the union leaders of not telling the entire story to his players, some league and team personnel say the attacks toward Bettman have also unified owners.

The most widespread reaction to the players' attacks from all corners is usually simply to ask: How does this help the situation?

"It's getting a little personal," Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider told Sportsnet. "We'd like to think we are adults and can handle this in an appropriate way.

"It's easy to direct your anger toward one person because he represents the owners and the owners aren't allowed to speak. I don't think we condone that but at the same time, it's a heat-of-the-moment mistake and I don't think anyone takes it personally."

At the very least, Versteeg is guilty of bad timing as his blast occurred hours before Bettman and Fehr and others are going behind closed doors at 7 p.m. ET in New York in an effort to bring peace to the hostile negotiations that threaten the 2012-13 NHL season. The lockout is now in its 65th day.

One of the greatest sources of criticism toward Bettman centers on a decision he made that has benefited players. Fans seem to like to grumble about Bettman's decision to expand from 26 to 30 NHL teams. Had he not done that, there would be 92 fewer players mad at him today.